


Just A Kid.

by stressedoutstars



Category: Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Attempted Murder, BAMF TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF), Cause I'm an aphmau stan, Child Abuse, Child Neglect, Child Soldiers, Childhood Trauma, DadInnit, Dream was possessed, Exiled TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF), F/F, Father-Daughter Relationship, Father-Son Relationship, Found Family, Gen, Happy TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF), Hurt TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF), Hurt/Comfort, Hybrid Toby Smith | Tubbo, I simp for dadinnit, Irene is used instead of God, Mother-Son Relationship, Possessed Dream, Post-War, Protective TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF), Racism, Reunited and It Feels So Good, Running Away, Strong Female Characters, Time Skips, TommyInnit Needs a Hug (Video Blogging RPF), TommyInnit Swears (Video Blogging RPF), TommyInnit has a Child, Tommyinnit has a Daughter, Tommyinnit with a baby what will he do, Wilbur Soot and Technoblade and TommyInnit are Siblings, hybrid child character, mention of child neglect, phil is a grandpa again, tommy please take a break, tommyinnit needs a nap
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-11
Updated: 2021-01-23
Packaged: 2021-03-15 07:27:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,722
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28684815
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stressedoutstars/pseuds/stressedoutstars
Summary: The sun was high in the sky, indicating it was around noon. It was blisteringly hot outside, but the shade of the oak trees had hidden him from the sun's rays. Tommy climbed down the small cliff on the forest into the village, straight into chaos."Burn the sinner!"What the fuck?Tommy followed the yelling to an older man holding what looked to be a pile of blankets up in the air. A bunch of the town's villagers were surrounding him, some starting a fire. They all seemed disgusted with whatever was in the blankets. Tommy, hardened by war and not wanting to get involved in this bullshit, hid behind a house. He watched as the fire was lit, and the villager spouted off some bullshit about how a child of sin should be burned. Wait- is the bundle of blankets a fucking child?__Aka, Tommyinnit with a baby what will he dooooo?
Relationships: Clay | Dream & TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF), Dream SMP Ensemble & TommyInnit, Original Female Character/Original Female Character, Technoblade & TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF), Toby Smith | Tubbo & TommyInnit, TommyInnit & Phil Watson (Video Blogging RPF), TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF) & Original Character(s), TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF) & Original Female Character(s), Wilbur Soot & TommyInnit
Comments: 105
Kudos: 1217
Collections: Completed stories I've read, Cute MCYT, Purrsonal Picks





	1. A blessing, not a curse.

**Author's Note:**

> WOOOOO! POGCHAMP! A TWO-PART STORY! I really needed a break from IWNAWYCFANWY, guys, sorry. I was really excited fro this idea that i randomly came up with this morning :D  
> Anyways,,, enjoy father tommyinnit cause,,,, why not.  
> -Toby

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tommyinnit's left behind the Dream SMP, and for the first time in a while things were good for the teen. The last thing he expected was to adopt a child.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CHAPTER ONE, POG! THIS IS 4.5K WORDS AND I WROTE THIS IN TWO HOURS! I hope you enjoy :D

Tommy couldn't keep living in the SMP anymore.

Don't get him wrong, he loved many of the people there. But with how many wars and exiles he was thrown into as a child; he couldn't take it anymore. Even now, where he was more comfortable than he had been since before L'manberg, his older brother and father were planning to blow up L'manberg. Again. So, he left. He packed his bags and snuck out in the night. He left without a note, not thinking they'd needed (or deserved) one. Why would they care, anyways? All they care about is anarchy and destruction.

It has been six months since Tommy left the Dream SMP. And honestly? Tommy was finally thriving outside of the constant wars and drama of the SMP. Besides the first month, which he spent in a village recovering for his injuries after the village's healer found him half dead, he had spent the past six months traversing the lands. He had some notable encounters in his travels. He'd trudged through the desert, and had talked with a few villagers in a small village that was near a desert temple. They'd taught him how to farm in difficult conditions, and he helped maintain the farm for them. Then, he'd entered a grassy valley surrounded by high mountains. The blacksmith let him stay the night as long as he went mining for some ores for him in the morning. Tommy did just that, and the blacksmith's husband, the Baker, rewarded him with some bread and cookies for his travels. He'd slept in caves, mined in an abandoned mineshaft, fought off all types of mobs, and honestly? Tommy was getting tired of it. So, Tommy decided he'd head back to the first village he stayed in after he saw this last village. He'd probably built a house on the outskirts of the village and get a job in the village. Maybe the nice healer who took him in would teach him how to heal people. But for now, he had to stay in this village.

The sun was high in the sky, indicating it was around noon. It was blisteringly hot outside, but the shade of the oak trees had hidden him from the sun's rays. Tommy climbed down the small cliff on the forest into the village, straight into chaos.

_"Burn the sinner!"_

What the fuck?

Tommy followed the yelling to an older man holding what looked to be a pile of blankets up in the air. A bunch of the town's villagers were surrounding him, some starting a fire. They all seemed disgusted with whatever was in the blankets. Tommy, hardened by war and not wanting to get involved in this bullshit, hid behind a house. He watched as the fire was lit, and the villager spouted off some bullshit about how a child of sin should be burned. Wait- _is the bundle of blankets a fucking child?_

Tommy, with little thought except _"Oh my fucking Irene they're going to burn a baby"_ steps out of his hiding spot and yells at the man.

"Hey man put that baby down!"

The village people turn and stare at him as if he had suddenly grown six heads and started spitting out fire.

The ~~bastard~~ man turned to him and spoke again, "This child is sinful and shall be burned. Young traveler do not get involved in our village's affairs. Leave now or suffer the consequences."

Tommy glared at the bastard and walked forward.

"Why the fuck is this child sinful? They're just a baby." He asked.

"The mother of this child made it through ungodly ways! She had intercourse with a man that was half cattle and half human!" He yelled, showing him the baby.

Said baby looked to be not even an hour old, with floppy cow-like ears and patches of pitch-black skin covering their milk-white skin. Their eyes were closed, and they looked as if they had been recently crying. Tommy was confused to find that _they're just a hybrid._

"They're just a hybrid, what's wrong with that?" He asked.

**Wrong question.**

Some of the village people gasped and a few even growled at him. They all glared at him appalled, as if he had just said he had slain their god.

"It's a hybrid, an act of sin, and is not wanted in this village!" The man yelled in his face, practically spitting on him.

And without thinking Tommy says, "Then I'll take them."

"What." The man flatly says, seemingly in shock.

"I'll take them if no one else will." He states firmly.

The man looks at him in shock before shoving the baby into his arms. Tommy holds the baby, adjusting them in his arms until he's cradling them correctly. He peers down to their face before smiling at them.

_"They're so cute,"_ he thinks before it dawns on him. _"Oh, my Irene I just did that. Oh, fuck I just adopted a child. Where are their parents? Am I their parent now?"_

He just looks at the little calf, tugging their close to his chest. His thoughts overwhelmed him, to the point where all he could do was stare down at them. Luckily for him, his thoughts were interrupted by a short curly-haired black woman walking up to him cautiously.

"Excuse me, sir?" She timidly asks.

Snapping his head up he replies "Yes?"

"The child’s mother has passed, and was my dear friend. Thank you so much for taking her daughter in. If you want, I can give you the clothes and supplies she had for her." She replies, smiling at him.

Oh, so the baby's a girl.

Tommy nods, eyes blown wide. "Uh- yes, please."

The woman beckons him to follow, and he does in a sort-of trance. The buildings and forest blur into one as he stares at the kind lady, following this stranger on autopilot. What if this is a trick? What if she tries to hurt his little girl? 

Tommy shakes those thoughts away, knowing he could protect her and himself if it came to it. Tommy fought in multiple wars; he could take on one unarmed lady. Finally, they make it to a house on the outskirts of the village, and the lady opens the door before leading him inside. He stands in the doorway as the woman goes into a room in the back of the house. Sighing, he rocks the baby gently as he looks around the house.

The house was made of oak wood, and was decorated nicely. To the left of him was a small kitchen, and to the right was a living room. The house seemed messy, as if the inhabitant was rushing to get somewhere. Guessing that she was probably in labor, she was probably not caring if she made a mess. Ahead of him was a hallway with three doors. One was the one the kind lady went through, and then the others two were closed. If Tommy had to guess, the two were probably the mother's bedroom and a bathroom. Normally, Tommy would explore, but the lady stepped out, with a large bag of supplies.

"Alright, son, this baby bag has all the basics: a bag of diapers, clothes, formula, a bottle, some pacifiers, and a stuffed animal in it. This is what you'll need for now, until you can make it to another village. I wouldn’t suggest going west to the coastal village, they’re mostly elderly people and farmers. I know the village surrounded by mountains to the east has some villagers with children, so it's best to ask there. Thank you again for taking in Anabelle's daughter, Mr...." 

"Tommy." He supplies.

"Ah, thank you Mr. Tommy. Now, I believe it's best to be on your way before anyone in the village gets any ideas of hurting you and your child." She states, placing a hand on his shoulder, causing him to flinch slightly.

"Alright, thank you Miss..."

"Holly. Now, there was one last thing I wanted to give you before you were on your way. This is a papoose. It hooks onto your body so you can carry your baby and have your hands free. I'll help you put it on. Just set her down on the couch for now, sweetheart." She tells him, and the two walk over to the couch as she reaches over to him to put on the papoose.

After she clicks in the latches, she helps him slip her in. "There we go! I hope this makes your travels easier, Tommy."

"Thank you, Miss Holly." He says, slinging the baby bag onto his shoulder.

"No problem, dear. Now, it's best to be on our way. I'll lead you out the village to the outskirts of the woods. My wife is waiting there with a map to the valley village for you." She says, walking to the door of the house before stepping out.

Tommy nods, following her out. The two walk, Tommy's mind occupied by the baby snuggled to his chest. He couldn't believe it; he had a daughter. He just... adopted her. And now a kind lady and her wife were helping him to escape this village and get to some place safe for him and his baby? Holy shit. 

Suddenly, they arrived at the outskirts of the forest. There was, as Holly said, her wife with a map and surprisingly a basket in hand and a bag on her back. Said wife had olive skin with dark blue eyes. She was muscular and taller than Tommy by a long shot.

_She was fucking scary._

"Hey there, son. Holly here told me of how you're taking in Annabelle's kid. Is that right?" The wife asks, her gruff voice snapping Tommy back to reality.

"Yes ma'am." He replies, a bit intimidated by the tall, muscular woman.

She chuckles. "None of that ma'am shit, kid. Call me by my name, Heather. Now, ya’ look a bit in over yer head, but it looks like Holly has helped ya’ get the basics and ya're ready to go. Me and Holly will be going with ya'; we want outta this damn village. We'll be taking ya’ to a nearby village, and ya’ can decide there if ya’ jus’ want to get some supplies then head off, or if ya’ want to stay. Now, ya’ jus’ worry about yer baby ‘n I'll be navigating ‘n Holly will carry our supplies. We'll share our food ‘n water with ya' as long as ya’ promise to keep that lil' girl strapped to yer chest safe. Ya’ understand me, kid?"

"Yes ma'am- I mean, yes, Heather."

Heather laughs before patting his shoulder.

"That's the spirit, now, let's be on our way."

The trip lasted a week, and in that time, Holly and Heather taught him to change a diaper, how to feed a baby, and how to get a baby to sleep. In turn, he learned more about them. Holly was the local cartographer and historian, having catalogued the history of the village and the entire area surrounding it. Heather was the blacksmith, having made supplies only for the village's daily life, but no weapons because they rarely fought in any wars. Tommy told them about his life as well. About his brothers and dad, his best friends Tubbo and Ranboo, and about the wars and exiles he went through. He told them of how he ran away. Then, Holly had asked him his age, and when he replied that he was 17, she gasped, covering her mouth, and Heather shook her head. When he asked what was wrong, all Heather replied with was;

_"Those adults shouldn'ta have put ya' through all that shit at such a young age. Just stick with us, son, ‘n we'll keep ya’ safe."_

So, Tommy did. He decided, instead of going back to the first village, he'd stay with Holly and Heather. The four had become a tight-knit family, with the two older women being his mothers and the grandmothers to Clara. Oh, right; he named the little girl Clara Annabelle Innit. He came up with Clara on his own, but he felt like he had to honor her mother in some way.

Little Clara was growing stronger and larger every day, and Tommy couldn't believe how fast time was flying by. His father had always said that, but he’d just thought it was because Tommy and his brothers were adopted. But Tommy now knows that that’s not true. Fatherhood makes time fly by, but it's all completely worth it. The little cow-hybrid was the talk of the town. Everyone adored Clara and was appalled at why Tommy had come into possession of her in the first place. The town leader had even cut off trade with the brutal village, and many of the original village inhabitants had left for the coastal village nearby. 

It has now been over a year since Tommy had seen The Dream SMP, or any of his friends and family, and honestly? He was kind of homesick. He missed his dads and brothers, he missed Tubbo and Ranboo and Niki, God, he even missed George and his stupid house. On top of that, he wanted to show off little nine-month-old Clara to his family, and let Phil know he's a grandfather again. Maybe even Ghostbur would still be there: Ghostbur would absolutely adore her.

So, Tommy set off. He packed enough supplies for him, his moms, and Clara, and left the little village tucked into the valley. Tommy was originally planning to just take Clara, but Heather and Holly had decided to come with him, under the pretenses to meet his first family and the friends who he loved and cared for. (He also guesses they want to beat the shit of Dream; he doesn't blame them for it. He does too.)

The journey was two weeks long, and they had finally made it to a familiar area. Technoblade's cottage. The cottage was the same as he last saw it, but looked a bit bigger. It looked like an extra room was added on, as well the turtle farm being expanded and an extra horse in Carl's pen. Outside the house was someone Tommy recognized, His dad. Tommy froze in his tracks.

"Tommy, what's wrong?" Holly, his Mama, asked him.

"Mom, Mama, that's my Dad." He told them.

"Why don't we go up to him?" Heather, his Mom asked.

"Heather, dear, I don't think we need to, he's coming to us." Mama replied.

Tommy stiffened, pulling Clara closer to his chest. He prayed to Irene that this will go well.

"Hello, there. My name is Philza, yours?" He asked, reaching out his hand.

Tommy was only half surprised that Phil didn't recognize him. Tommy had changed a lot, after all. His blonde hair was just above shoulder length now, and pulled into a low ponytail behind him. He had jagged, long bangs that framed his face well, making his jawline and cheekbones more angular. All his scars had healed, leaving white lines in their wake. He also had a piercing in his left earlobe, with a green emerald earring dangling from it. Tubbo's compass was strapped to his wrist like a wristwatch by a strip of red-eyed leather. He wasn't wearing his signature outfit either, having swapped it out for a red winter's coat and boots and black snow pants for the colder weather. 

"Hey, Dad." He replied.

Phil's eyes widened dramatically as he realized that **_"Oh shit, this is my son."_**

"Tommy?" He asked, breathless.

"Damn right it is, old man."

Tommy was engulfed in a hug by the winged man, wings and arms holding him tightly. Tommy hugged back, relishing in the missed warmth, before he felt Clara squirming on his chest uncomfortably. 

"Big man, you're gonna have to let go. I don't think someone is incredibly happy to be squished in a hug." He stated chuckling.

Phil pulled back in confusion trying to figure out who-in-the-hell Tommy was talking about before he set eyes on the baby strapped to his chest. If Tommy thought his eyes were wide before, Phil's eyes were practically saucers at this point.

"Tommy, why do you have a baby strapped to your chest?" He asked quickly.

"Phil, I'd like you to meet your granddaughter, Clara Anabelle Innit." He introduced her to Phil.

"Surely not." He spoke. 

"It's the truth, Dad." Tommy said, with no trace of ingenuity.

Phil gasped, tears welling up in his eyes before he bent down a bit to look closer at Clara. He grabbed one of her little hands before whispering _"Hi, baby. I'm your grandpa."_

Clara cooed, reaching out for Phil.

"Can I?" Phil asked, and Tommy nodded, helping him pull Clara out the papoose.

Phil held the little cow hybrid close to his chest, swaying with her. Tommy watched with a grin as his dad just stared down at Clara with awe and joy. Suddenly, Clara sneezed, and Tommy remembered they were outside in the cold with a nine-month-old baby.

"Dad, I think we should go inside before Clara gets a cold." Tommy stated gently, and Phil nodded mindlessly before turning around and calling for the three to follow him.

They followed Phil up the steps, and into the cottage. Tommy opened the door for his dad, and set down his bag in the kitchen. Phil seemed to perk up in the snow, his mind finally rebooting from the shock of his youngest having a daughter.

"Take off your boots and snow clothes. Tommy, show them where to put it, it hasn't changed since you left."

Tommy took off his snow boots and hooked his jacket up on the hooks on the wall and had his moms do the same.

"Techno, Will, get your asses down here right now!" Phil yelled.

"What the hell's going on, Phil?" Techno yelled back.

"Tommy's here!"

Two pairs of feet hurried to the ladder, the owners seemingly fighting each other to get down first.

"Dumbass, let me down first!" 

"No Will, this is my house, _I_ go first."

"Oh, fuck off! You saw him more recently!"

"No, now wait your turn!" Techno yelled, climbing down the ladder.

Tommy grinned, watching his eldest brother look around before setting his gaze on him.

"Come here, Theseus!" Techno yelled, as monotone as ever.

Tommy grinned before walking over to his brother, hugging him.

"I thought you fucking died, or Dream kidnapped you, you asshole! Where the hell were you?" He asked Tommy.

"I was mainly traveling a while before I adopted Clara and met my moms." He replied.

“Nice, you should tell me about- _wait what._ ” Techno froze, before pulling Tommy off him. 

"Surprise, Blade, you're an uncle again!" Tommy cheered, doing jazz hands.

Techno’s eyes widened, frantically searching for the baby in disbelief.

"Over here, Techno." Phil called out.

Techno turned his head to Phil, who was holding Clara in his arms. His eyes widened even further, tilting his head.

"That's a fucking baby."

"Yep." Tommy replied, popping the p.

"That's _your_ baby?" He asked Tommy, disbelief evident in his tone.

"Yep!" Tommy replied, a bit giddier than before.

"Who the _fuck_ let you have a baby?" Techno asked incredulously.

Tommy frowned. "Some dickhead thought she was a sin because she was a hybrid and was gonna kill her, so I adopted her."

"What the fuck?"

"Yeah, I know. But then I met my moms, Holly and Heather and they helped me out and I've been staying with them ever since." 

"Holy shit."

Only if Techno knew the half of it.

Tommy laughed. "Yeah. Wild, right?"

Techno looked him up and down. "You're really fucking different, kid."

"Yeah, healing from your trauma and becoming a father can do that to ya'." He replied, grinning at the piglin hybrid.

"You have a fucking baby?" Tommy froze.

That sounded like Will, but not Ghostbur. That sounded like Alivebur, but Alivebur before he went insane. But that can't be possible, right?

Wilbur, who was very much alive, stepped up to Tommy. "You look like you've seen a ghost." He stated, grinning cheekily.

Holy fuck.

"Wilby!" Tommy yelled, hugging Wilbur.

Wilbur belly laughed, hugging Tommy back. "Hey, brat."

Tommy pulled back, looking at Wilbur's face taking in his- well- aliveness. "How the fuck are you alive, big man?"

"Techno and Phil found a way to bring me back. Techno had to give up one of his lives for me, though." 

Tommy looked at Techno, who awkwardly froze when seeing the look in Tommy's eye. Tommy rushed over and hugged the piglin.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you..." Tommy repeated into the crook of Techno's neck. Techno just awkwardly hugged him back.

Eventually, Tommy let go to see Wilbur in the living room. The pale man was holding Clara in his arms, rocking her back and forth.

"I can't believe you have a fucking baby, Tommy."

Tommy grinned. "I can't believe you're fucking alive." 

"She's cute." Wilbur complimented as Clara giggled.

"Thank you, I know." Tommy replied cheekily

"Wait who the fuck are they?" Techno interrupted, pointing at Tommy’s moms.

"Those two lovely ladies are Heather and Holly. When I adopted Clara, they basically adopted me. Clara's mom, Anabelle, died in childbirth and was their good friend. Heather is the tall as fuck one, and Holly is the midget." Tommy informed the three.

“I’m going to ground you for calling me a midget, Thomas.” Holly stated, trying not to grin at him.

“Wait- mom- _please-_ ”

Holly chucked. “I’m just messing with you, sweetie. Now,” She turned to the others. "Nice to meet you all!" Holly greeted them.

Heather held out her hand to Techno, "Nice to meet you three."

Techno shook her hand. "Strong grip." Techno complimented.

Heather grinned. "Thanks."

Heather and Holly moved over to Phil and Wilbur, introducing themselves to the two. Tommy smiled leaning back on the ledge of the kitchen counter, watching his two families collide. Heather and Will seemed to be hitting it off, laughing about some joke Will made. Holly and Phil were cooing over Clara as the little girl was relishing in how spoiled she was. And Techno- well, Techno was right next to Tommy, opening the fridge. The man grabbed out two water bottles, handing one to Tommy. Tommy thanked him quietly. After a moment of silence, just watching the others interact, Techno spoke up.

"I missed you, kid." Techno admits quietly.

Tommy's eyes softened. "I missed you too, Blade."

Techno takes a swig of his water. "I really thought you died, ya know. It sounds bad but I was hoping you were kidnapped by Dream just so we could get you back. But Dream didn't have you. I thought I lost both my brothers."

Tommy winced. "I'm sorry for leaving without telling you. It was a dick move."

Techno looked up at Tommy with wide, disbelieving eyes. "Didn't know TommyInnit apologized." 

Tommy felt a pang in his heart briefly. "You said it yourself, big man. I changed a lot." 

Techno groans. "Those stupid nicknames didn't change, though."

Tommy busts out laughing, causing the others in the home to look at him. Techno and Tommy snicker at each other before waving the others away. Eventually, the two calm down and sitting in comfortable silence before Techno speaks up again.

"You gonna visit the others in the SMP?" Techno asks and Tommy groans.

"Yeah, probably. Will you tell me how everyone is doing so far? I haven't been here in a while." He asks and Techno agrees, going off about the major changes.

"Yeah, sure. Everyone's still here for the most part. Antfrost went off to go adventuring with his boyfriend. Sam and Purpled go in and out of the SMP. Captain Sparklez comes over occasionally, and he and Tubbo are close. L'manberg is gone, and everyone’s just living in mutual agreement to not be dicks to each other. Dream's not the owner of the SMP anymore; Eret took over. Turns out Dream was possessed by a dreamon, apparently? Kudos to Sparklez for figuring that out. Badlands and the SMP are still official countries but they aren't corrupt so I'm leaving them alone for now." Techno replies. 

"Niki's Bakery is thriving, with Ranboo and Tubbo working under her. I've just been staying with Dad and Techno, visiting everyone else once every week. I have most of my memories back, but some are still blurry." Wilbur chimes in.

"Everyone misses you, Tommy. We were all incredibly worried when we realized you were missing. Though, it’s kind of got our heads out of our asses and we started working together. When Dream was finally freed, he remembered nothing from the first independence war and after. We filled him in, and he really wants to apologize to you." Phil adds.

"Wait- so, Dream was possessed that whole time? He didn't do any of that to me?" Tommy asks in shock.

"Yep." Techno replies.

"And he genuinely remembers nothing?"

"Nothing from the first war onwards." 

"Shit." Tommy curses, trying to figure out how he feels about this.

"You okay, Toms?" Phil asks him.

"Yeah, yeah, it's just a lot to take in." Tommy replies, tearing up a bit.

His whole viewpoint had changed. Should he blame Dream? That wasn’t Dream himself, it was just his possessed body. But Dream- or more like possessed Dream- blowing up his stuff and eventually Logstead haunts his nightmares. It’d be so hard to separate Real Dream from the Dreamon. What if Dream was lying? _Why did his chest feel so tight? Why were his cheeks wet? **Why-**_

A coo startles Tommy out of his panic, and Tommy looks up to see Wilbur standing in front of him, Clara in his arms. The little girl reaches out for Tommy, and Tommy immediately grabs her, rocking her. 

“Hi, baby.” He whispers to her.

Clara coos in confusion as to why water was leaking out of her daddy’s eyes. Tommy chuckled wetly, brushing her black and white locks out of her sky-blue eyes. “Daddy’s okay, Clarabelle. Don’t be scared. Everything’s okay.” 

Clara seems to understand him, before smacking his cheeks. Tommy laughs, pulling her closer to him. 

“You trying to wipe away Daddy’s tears, Clara? How sweet of you.” He softly says, nuzzling into her baby-soft hair. 

Then, Clara giggles as she grabs his nose, honking it, causing Tommy to bust out laughing. The whole family goes into hysterics as Clara looks around confused. Eventually, they all calm down, and sit in a peaceful silence. Tommy, ever the talker, breaks this silence.

"Does Tubbo still have the compass?" He asks quietly.

The room goes silent once again.

"It broke in the final explosion. It was my fault, kid. I'm sorry." Techno replies quietly.

Tommy's breath hitches.

"We can make a new one for him! You can give it to him tomorrow." Wilbur adds in cheerfully.

Tommy nods, smiling. "Yeah, that would be nice."

With hope for new starts with everyone in the SMP, Tommy relishes in the time spent with his family. It had been so long since things were this nice and Tommy was going to enjoy this while it lasts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for finishing the first chapter of two! Soon I'll probably update my main fic and write more for this one. For now, please leave kudos and a comment or two :D Have a Nice Day <3


	2. Wait for me, and I will change for you.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tommy finally reunites with the rest of Dream SMP, but is it all for the better? or for the worse?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait, ya'll! School started back up recently and I got SWAMPED with work. I'm working on IWAWYCANWY right now! I hope you guys enjoy chapter 2 of this story!

It was time.

Tommy was finally going to see ~~his friends(?)~~ everyone again after a little over a year. Irene, how much had everyone changed? Tommy knows he sure as hell as. Had Quackity and Fundy changed much? Had Niki and Ranboo changed drastically? Had Bad and Skeppy and Puffy? How about Karl and Sapnap and George? Had- _had Tubbo?_ ...Did Dream really even change at all or was that all a lie?

Well, Tommy was about to find out. 

Tommy sat on the floor of his eldest brother’s house, tying his boots up. The black leather combat boots were worn with the time he spent working on the village’s farms, but Tommy still loved them. He sighed taking in the warmth of the fireplace, having a small moment of peace before the chaos of the day would take over. He slips his foot off his knee, the boot finally tied tightly. He pursed his head up, looking around the small, but cozy, cottage. Not much had changed, except for a bit of reorganization and an extra room added downstairs for Wilbur. Tommy, honest to Irene, missed this place even if he’d never admit it. But he definitely missed his family more.

Speaking of family, his daughter was sitting in her car seat, all ready to go. She was wearing an off-white onesie with outlines of little cats and dogs underneath a pair of grey joggers and red flannel. She also had a color block hoodie with dark grey sleeves and a light grey body overtop the flannel that had little holes for her horns and tail. She had grey gloves and booties on to warm her up in the cold of February, and she loved kicking her feet to try to get the booties off. She was absolutely adorable, and Tommy couldn't take his eyes off her as she suckled on a red pacifier. That was his girl. His baby that everyone else in the SMP was going to meet today. Holy shit.

“Ya’ ready, Tomcat?” asked Heather, and he stood up, grinning at her.

“I was born ready.”

Tommy was _not_ ready.

The journey to the Greater SMP borders took about 3 hours, with them avoiding the ruins of Logstedshire. Despite the trip being a few hours, it was not long enough to Tommy. They had all chatted with each other, Tommy and his moms filling them in on his life since he left, and Heather and Holly teasingly telling the others stories about his misadventures as a new parent. Tommy in response rolled his eyes and teased them about being whipped for Clara (and each other), and both of them went bright red. Finally, they made it at the borders of the SMP where they were waiting for Eret to allow his moms and daughter in. Then, they arrived and suddenly Tommy was getting cold feet. _Oh, Irene he’s going to fuck this up-_

“Technoblade, Philza Minecraft, Wilbur! Nice to see you guys. You whispered to me about needing me to let in three people?” She had said to the group of seven, pulling up his communicator.

Tommy hands his daughter in her carrier to his Mama, who grins at being bestowed, as she calls it, “Baby privileges.” 

“Yep, this is Heather, Holly, and their granddaughter Clara. They’re here to visit with us.” Phil said, placing a hand on Tommy’s shoulder, gesturing to the three women.

“Ah, alright? But what about them?” Eret asks, pointing to Tommy.

“You don’t need to let me in, big man, unless I’ve been banned already.” He says with a cheeky grin, feigning confidence to hide his shaky hands.

He watched Eret do a double take, pulling down their sunglasses a bit to look at Tommy. “Holy shit, Tommy?!” Eret yells excitedly.

“Hey, bitch! I’m back!” He yells, laughing as Eret hurries over, picking him up into a hug.

“Irene, kid, we thought you died!” He says incredulously.

“You thought me leaving was going to take me down! Hell no! It takes a lot more for me to kick the bucket.” He yells out, laughing as Eret puts him down.

“Should’ve expected better from you, kid. Come on, I’ll let them in, and we’ll go meet everyone else. Want me to message everyone to get to Lake L’manberg to see you?” Eret asks him as she lets in his moms and daughter.

Tommy sighs deeply, fidgeting with his hand a bit. “Yeah, let’s do it.”

  
  


“You okay, Toms?” Wilbur asks him.

He's going to fuck this up, _ he's going to fuck this up, this was such a bad idea, his moms are gonna get hurt, **Clara's** going to get hurt, **Irene** , why was he such **an idiot-** _

Tommy takes in a gulp of fresh air, the cold air stinging his lungs. “Yeah, I’ll be fine. Just a bit anxious is all.” Tears glisten his eyes, threatening to fall but never doing so.

  
  


He turns to Wilbur, watching the older man’s eyes soften. “Oh, Toms.” He whispers softly, pulling the boy into a hug.

Tommy hugs him back, leaning his face into the crook of his big brother’s neck. The two stay there for a second before he pulls back. Wilbur softly grabs Tommy’s chin, pulling it up gently so Tommy can look into his eyes.

“Toms, you’re going to be okay. I know it’s all different. I know it’s scary; I understand. But take it from me, bubba, it’s all going to be okay. And if in the off chance it’s not? You got your family to back you up.” He says, smiling softly.

Tommy looks around at his family, and they all look back with reassuring smiles except for Techno but he knows Techno’s worried for him. Tommy looks back to Wilbur before grinning and turning to Eret.

“I’m ready.” And this time, Tommy meant it.

Eret grins, taking the three women’s usernames, punching in a few codes and suddenly Clara, Heather, and Holly are let in. All eight people step in and Tommy hears his communicator ding.

Everyone to Lake L’manberg, now.

Tommy closes his communicator, stuffing it in his pocket. He watched as Eret leads the group to the lake, joking around with everyone and getting to know Heather and Holly. The sight is something Tommy is fond of, and he’s sure this will be a moment he’ll cherish for years to come. 

“So, Tommy, how have you been?” Eret asks him and he grins.

“Good! I went adventuring for a few months before settling down.” He replies.

“Oh, really? Didn’t take you for the type to settle down.” Eret glances over at him quickly.

“Yea, I didn’t either until I had a kid.” He replies, grinning.

“Wait- what did you just say?” Eret stopped in his tracks, turning around to face Tommy.

“Eret, Clara’s my kid.” 

“Oh- my Irene! Congrats, man.” Eret hugs him, smiling.

Once Eret lets go, she turns to look at the baby then back up at Tommy. “Damn man. I’m proud of you, Tommy. Come on, the others are gonna be so shocked!”

Eret has a bit more pep in his step at the news and the others are trying to catch up with the tall player. Tommy tries his best to take in the surrounding area that has changed in the time he’s been gone. There are houses scattered around each other, and Tommy assumes it must be some of the ex-members of L’manberg. Maybe Fundy and Ranboo? They look like something the two would build.

Finally, the group arrives at a large lake where L’manberg used to stand. As he approached the lake, Tommy could see a few people had beat them there. He tried to make out who, but it was hard to see from where he was. Tommy grinned as he listened to Eret talk to the group, his hands doing just as much talking as his mouth did.

"Oh, looks like Fundy and Niki beat us there! I think I also see some others on their way!" Eret says, grinning.

Eret waves at the group and they wave back. As they get closer to the two, the duo becomes clearer and Tommy feels his stomach churn. Fuck, he knows he has to nothing to fear but well he's quite sure he pissed off Niki before he left. He does not want to piss off Niki. Fuck.

"Hey guys!" Wilbur says.

"Hey, Wil!" Niki replies.

"Good to see you all again." Dad says.

You too!" Niki says back, smiling.

"Who's the new guys?" Fundy asks.

"I'm Heather and this is my lovely wife, Holly. Nice to meet ya'!" Heather holds out her hand and both of them shake it.

"Nice to meet you two too!" Niki replies.

"Can I hug you both? I'm a bit of a hugger." Holly asks and two agree and she hugs them both.

"Wait- who's the new guy, Eret?" asks Fundy.

Tommy grins at the two. “Already forgot about me, big man?”

The two pause, staring at Tommy with eyes blown-wide. Tommy watches as the gears turn in their heads before a realization clicks in Niki first and her jaw drops. He smiles giddily, waiting for the two to react.

“Tommy? Is that really you?” She asks.

“Hell yeah it is, Niki!” He replies and Niki smiles and covers her mouth.

“Oh, my Irene, we thought you were dead!” She says, pulling him into a hug.

“Guys is it- Is it really him?” Asks Fundy.

“Yeah, it is, kiddo. Go say hi.” Eret replies, nudging Fundy towards Tommy.

As Niki lets go of Tommy, he looks at Fundy. The fox hybrid stares in disbelief. Tommy holds back giggles at the man's disbelief.

“Holy shit. It’s good to see you’re alive, man!” He says, pulling him into a hug.

“Good to see you’re alive too, furry.”

“Thanks- hey, wait! I’m not a fucking furry!” Fundy yells but is drowned out by the laughter of the others.

Through the laughter cuts a piercing cry and Tommy whips around to find where the noise is coming from. The group goes silent as they all see a wailing Clara. Tommy sighs, eyes growing soft with worry at the sight of his crying baby.

“Clara,” He murmurs. “Oh, baby girl don’t cry.” He reaches down to his daughter, pulling her out of her carrier.

He bounces the little girl on his hip patting her back softly and slowly. “Daddy’s here, it’s okay.” 

The little girl was obviously frightened by all the loud laughter, evident by her cries and the snot dribbling down her face. Her nose was a bright red and her sky blue eyes were puffy from her wailing. As Tommy soothed the girl, the group went silent, but Tommy barely registered it. He just focused on helping Clara.  As the little girl's cries turned from wailing to sobbing to quiet sniffles, her eyes drooped. Tommy pulled a tissue out of the bag hanging off his shoulder and wiped her face.

“Aw, baby. That was scary, huh?” He whispered to her.

Clara, grabbed at his shirt with one hand, softly whining. The other hand was in her mouth in an attempt to soothe herself. He cooed at the girl as he noticed the soiled red pacifier in the dirt. He bent down, grabbing the dirty red pacifier, slipping it into a Ziplock bag in his satchel. He then grabbed a clean grey pacifier, slipping it into her mouth. He continued to bounce and rock the girl till she fell asleep.

“What the fuck just happened?” Fundy whispered.

“I was soothing my baby, dumbass.” Tommy harshly whispered back.

“You have a fucking baby?!” Fundy said, his voice raising in volume.

Clara whined and Tommy shushed her, murmuring quiet apologies.

“Yes, now be quiet before you fucking wake her and she starts crying! I only have so many clean pacifiers, Fundy!”

“Fine, fine. But how the fuck did you get a baby?” He asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

“Long story.”

“We’ve got time.” Fundy said, crossing his arms.

“Let’s wait for the others to get here-”

“Hey guys!” A familiar voice yelled, and Tommy looked up to see his _(ex?)_ best friend.

The group shushed Tubbo, and he and the people following behind him paused before quickly, and quietly, walking over. Tommy's eyes felt as if they had been doused in lava, and his chest was tight like a snake had snuggly coiled around him. He was drowning in oxygen, trapped despite there being no serious threat. _His Tubbo_ shined with an ethereal enchantment purple on his wrist, the red arrow pointing straight ahead to the boy stood right in front of him. After all this time, Tubbo, _his Tubbo_ , is right in front of him, safe and happy and healthy. It felt like a dream come true, but Tommy knew this was real. Tommy would lose his mind if it wasn't.

“What’s going on- oh my Irene is that a baby?” he asked before whispering the last part of his sentence.

“Yeah.” Tommy whispered back.

“Whose baby- wait Tommy holy shit is that you?” Tubbo asks, before he teared up.

“Yeah, Big T. It’s me.”

Tommy handed Clara to Wilbur before turning to Tubbo. Tommy smiled at the ex-president, who grinned back, both having tears in their eyes. The older boy ran over, and Tommy flinched before Tubbo launched into him with a hug. Tommy softened, holding his best friend tightly. Tommy feels the tears that were welling up in his eyes fall freely down his face as Tubbo begins to sob into the crook of Tommy’s shoulder, tears staining his red and white sweater. Tommy clings to Tubbo’s green sweater, tilting his head to lean on Tubbo’s but being careful of his growing horns.

“I thought you were dead.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t ever do that to me again, dickhead.”

“I promise.”

The two pull away, wiping away their tears. One of Tubbo’s ram horns gets caught on Tommy’s ponytail and they both laugh trying to untangle themselves. Eventually, they untangle Tubbo’s horn from Tommy’s hair with the sad loss of a black hair tie. Tommy blows a strand of blonde hair out of his face, the shoulder-length hair getting in his face.

“Irene, Toms. I missed you so much. But seriously, long hair?” Tubbo jokes and Tommy busts out laughing.

“Big man, it’s cool!”

Tubbo scrunches up his nose. “Don’t ever say that again.”

Tommy grins, snickering at Tubbo’s disgruntled face.

“Hey Tommy!” Ranboo cuts in, and Tommy grins.

“Good to see you, Ranboob.”

Ranboo groans before pulling the blonde into a hug. He pulls out of the hug, before grabbing out his notebook.

“You mind if I write this down before we get back to writing?” He waves the book in the air.

“Yeah, sure man. I can introduce you two to my moms anyways.”

Tubbo perks up. “Moms?”

“Yeah! This is Heather,” He points to his Mom. “and that is Holly.” He points to his Mama. “They’ve been helping me heal from my trauma and shit.”

“And we get grandbaby privileges!” Holly says grinning.

“Grandbaby privileges?” Tubbo asks, tilting his head to the side.

Tommy grabs Clara from Wilbur. “Tubbo, I’d like to meet my daughter, Clara Anabelle Innit.”

Tubbo’s eyes widened. “Surely not.”

“I have a fucking baby, Tubbo.”

“How the hell did you, of all people, become a dad?”

“Some very questionable beliefs and a racist idiot.”

“Yep, that explains it.” Tubbo says with a confident nod.

The both of them laugh as Tubbo holds waves hello to the baby, playing with the sleeping girl's gloved hands. Tommy grins, cradling the baby girl in his arms. Tommy watches as everyone surrounding the sleeping Clara, softly murmuring at her. Eventually Ranboo comes over, having finished writing in his book.

“Do you mind me asking what type of hybrid she is?” The enderman hybrid asks him.

“I don’t mind; she’s a cow hybrid!” He said with a smile. 

“How old is she?” Niki asks.

“Nine months.” He replies, softly swaying his daughter as she started to stir.

“She’s so tiny.” Fundy whispered.

“I’d offer for you guys to hold her, but she’d probably wake up. I’m lucky she didn’t wake up just now.” He says with a chuckle.

“What’re we looking at?” A voice said, and Tommy jumped.

“Hi Skeppy, Hi Bad!” Tubbo says.

“Hello Tubbo! Now, who’s this little muffinhead?” Bad asked.

“This is my daughter, Clara Innit.”

“Wait did you just say Innit?” Bad asks.

“Yep.” Tommy said with a grin.

“Wow, I had a friend named TommyInnit. We haven’t seen him in years though.” Bad whispers.

“Bad.” Skeppy says exasperatedly.

“What?” Bad says, turning to Skeppy.

Skeppy gives him a look.

“Wait- wha- Tommy is that seriously you?!” Bad asks, his voice raising.

“Yes, now shhh, I don’t want to have to put her to sleep again!” Tommy whispers sharply.

“Sorry, sorry. Oh, my goodness you muffinhead, I can’t believe you’re alive! And you’re a father, how did that happen?” He asks, smiling up at him.

“Long story, I’ll explain everything when everyone gets here.”

“Ok!” He whispers cheerfully, going back to cooing at Clara, Skeppy joining him.

The group eventually disperses from Tommy to go talk to Heather and Holly as well as the others. All except Tubbo. Tubbo sighed, the older boy leaning his head against Tommy’s shoulder.

“You’re younger than me but you’re already all grown up.” Tubbo says, smiling.

Tommy peers down at Clara. “Yeah, I guess I am.”

“I am too, I think.” Tubbo pauses, lifting his head to look into Tommy’s eyes. “It’s weird, isn’t it? Being an adult?”

“Yeah,” Tommy says softly. “We barely got to be kids.”

“Yeah,” Tubbo frowns slightly. “I guess we did lose that. But you know what?”

“What?”

“At least I got you back.”

Tommy swallows, trying to disperse the thickness in his throat. “I’m glad to have you back too, Tubbster.”

“I’m glad I got have her too, you know.”

“Clara?”

“Yeah. She’s so fucking cute, dude. I think she’s going to love it here- At least, if you’re staying.”

“I might,” He watches as Tubbo’s eyes light up. “But not now. I’m just visiting for now, but maybe one day in the future, after enough visits, I’ll feel ready to move back here.”

“I would love for her to grow up here, or to at least be in the SMP for some time. She isn’t even talking yet and I know I’d give the world for her.” Tubbo says, grinning.

“I feel the same way, big man. I feel the same way.”

“Ayoooo!” Tommy hears Sapnap yell, holding both Quackity and Karl’s hands.

The group shushes him, but Tommy stiffens as he sees Dream holding George’s hand in the horizon. He looks… different. Still the same old hoodie and haircut and grin, same old Dream, but the mask is different. It looks like it’s got less cracks, and it’s freshly made. The five come closer, but significantly quieter now: they all look pretty much the same.

“Who’s the new dudes?” Sapnap asks no one in particular.

“I’m Holly, this is my wife Heather, and our granddaughter, Clara.”

“But who’s he?” George asks.

“Tommy.” Dream interrupts, and Tommy can _hear_ the tremble in his voice.

The tension in the group is palpable, as if it could be molded into little glass animals or clay vases. 

How the fuck did Dream know? “Dream, I- “

“Tommy, I am so sorry for what I did to you. I remember nothing, I swear to _Irene_ I don’t. I don’t know what I did to you exactly, but I apologize for that too.” Tommy could hear the tears invading Dream’s voice.

Tommy takes a deep breath. “I know, Dream; Techno told me. I don’t blame you; I blame the fucking dreamon. It… hurts to see you. To have you so close to me and my baby. But that’s just on a physical level. I…I see you and I just… think back to what that dreamon did. But I know logically it wasn’t you; it couldn’t have been you. You were possessed, after all. It was your body, but you weren’t in control of it. Even if I have my… doubts that you were actually possessed, I don’t think that kind of genuine guilt can be faked.”

Dream sobs. “Tommy.”

“It’s alright, Big D. I forgive you. The real you.”

“Can- can I hug you?” Dream asks, wiping away the tears behind his masks.

Tommy chuckles. “I would love to, but I have a sleeping baby in my arms who is very grumpy when woken up.”

“Oh- oh my Irene. Whose baby is that?” George asks.

"Tommy did you steal a fucking baby?" Asks Quackity.

“Mine.”

The three’s eyes widen in shock, and Tommy has to resist an eyeroll- What, can you blame him? He’s seen this same fucking reaction for the two days. When will someone finally not be shocked? Yet, Tommy smiles as George, Sapnap, Karl, and Quackity coo over Clara. Despite how tired he gets over the constant re-explanation, he’ll never tire of Clara getting the love and attention she deserves. Anything for his little girl.

“What’s her name?” Asks George.

“Clara Anabelle.”

“Who’s her mom?” asks Karl.

“I’ll explain in a bit.” He said, sighing.

“Can we hold her?” Asks Sapnap.

“When she wakes up, sure.”

“How old is she?” Dream pipes up, and Tommy looks up at him.

The older man is fiddling with his fingers, his head hung low. He is definitely not the dreamon version of Dream that Tommy knows.

Tommy smiles softly. “She’s nine months old, she was born on June 30 th , 2021. You know, Dream,” He watches as Dream smiles; the smile being seen because of his mask being pushed up to show his mouth. “you could come closer. I might’ve been a feral bitch boy in the past, but I’m not gonna bite now.”

A few people in the group giggle at that, including Dream who comes closer. Tommy controls his excitement, smiling softly at the nervous man.

“Wanna say hi?” he asks him.

Dream nods, bending a bit to look at her. “Hi, baby.” He says to the sleeping baby.

Tommy grins, looking at Dream as he relaxes. Tommy was hurt, yeah, but that wasn’t Dreams fault; he’s clearly hurting, too. Tommy doesn’t need to cause anymore hurt.

“Is that everyone?” Tommy asks.

“Nope, there’s a few people we’re waiting on.” Eret replies.

“Who are we missing?” Tommy asks.

Eret swipes open his communicator, looking intently at the screen. “It looks like… CaptainSparklez, Puffy, and Drista. I know Jack’s out on a trip to some other server, Ant and his boyfriend are out, Hbomb is Irene-knows-where, Purpled and Sam are in and out, Punz, Ponk, and Alyssa are competing in some tournament, Callahan asked to not be disturbed today, and Connor left for the week to visit some old friends on a different server. I have no fucking clue about Vikkstar and Lazar. Fuck all if I know I guess.” She replies.

“Alright, cool. Let me send out a message really quick. Mama, baby privileges are being bestowed upon you.”

Holly pumps her fist into the air. “Yes!”

He carefully hands the sleeping baby to his Mama, who looks absolutely delighted. After, he pulls out his communicator and pulls up the main SMP chat.

**TommyInnit** is typing…

__

**TommyInnit:** I’M BACK BITCHESSSSSS

**CaptainPuffy:** ??? TOMMY???

**CaptainSparklez** : I thought the gremlin child died?

**TommyInnit** : Bold of u to assume I can die

**Drista** : Tommy u died twice, fuck ass

**TommyInnit** : ur 15 u have no rights, bitch stfu

**Drista** : Go back to being dead, tall ass

**TommyInnit** : Har har, funny. Now seriously, u guys need to get over to Lake L’Manberg ASAP. I have a lot to explain and I’m only saying this once.

**CaptainPuffy** : Ok, I’m grabbing the green child and Sparklez now :) Be there soon

**Drista** : GREEN CHILD??? I AM NOT MY BROTHER

**TommyInnit** : Thank u Puffy

**CaptainPuffy** : np, kiddo :) glad to see ur back, kid.

**Drista:** Excuse me I am NOT that green motherfucker, I am HOT

**CaptainSparklez** : Sshhh. More walky, less talky.

**Drista** : Hate this fuckin family

Tommy chuckles.

**TommyInnit:** Oh btw I have a sleeping baby so plz be quiet

**CaptainSparklez:** What-

**Drista:** Who let you have a child?

**TommyInnit:** Who let u have rights? Ur literally an embryo, bitch

**Drista:** Go play in traffic.

**TommyInnit** : No <3

Tommy laughs, slipping his communicator into his pocket. Irene, he missed those three.

While Tommy and the others waited for the three missing people, they all were either chattering amongst themselves or with Tommy’s moms. Some were still cooing at Clara or asking Tommy a bunch of questions about her. Tommy was hoping the three would get there soon so he could get this over with. _Irene_ , he needed to sit.

In total, it only took about 10 minutes for the group to get there. And once they did, Tommy sighed with relief. He said some quick hellos, let them see Clara, and then turned to the group.

‘I’m guessing you guys have some questions for me?” He asks, smiling.

The group erupted in noise, and Tommy flinched at the sudden volume.

“Woah, woah, woah, hey! If you don’t calm down, you’ll wake Clara. Now, where do you want me to start? Exile or with Clara?” 

He listens as the group murmurs about the exile and Tommy nods.

“Alright. So, in exile it wasn’t easy at all for me. You could assume I would be fine; I could hunt for food, Logsteadshire was spacious and open, and people visited occasionally. But it was horrible. Only a few people visited, and the two constant people there were the Dreamon and Ghostbur. Dre- _Dreamon_ would regularly force me to give him my items so he could blow them up in a hole. He’d act like my  _ friend,  _ and made me believe that since no one was around that he was my only friend. My mental health was deteriorating quickly by the time Christmas rolled around.” Tommy took a shaky breath in, forcing it out.

“Listen, guys, the next part it’s- it’s really tough for me to talk about. I haven’t been to the Nether in a while because of it; I’m just warning you, okay?”

The group agrees and he continues. “I was deep into my- my depression and I think the dreamon noticed. He grabbed Sapnap and Ghostbur and got them to take a photo of the Christmas tree for me. I wasn’t allowed to go to L’manberg or the SMP, so I was stuck waiting for the three to get back in the Nether. I don’t-” Tommy swallows thickly, blinking back tears. “I don’t know what overcame me, but suddenly I was standing over the edge of the lava and was about to jump in. I just couldn’t take it anymore; I was  _ so  _ tired. But the dreamon pulled me back and told me it's not my time to die. That’s the only thing that bastard got right.” He says the end with a laugh, wiping away tears.

Tommy hears the others gasp, murmur, and whisper among themselves. He shoves down his fear of judgement to let them know. They have to know; He has to let them know. He needs to move on

“The rest of exile was _shit._ Then came the party that I threw, and nobody came to except the Dreamon who showed up late. I had given ghostbur the invitations to send. I remember being told no one got the invites, so I can’t help but wonder if the dreamon had part in that. Eventually the end of my time in Logsteadshire came and… it wasn’t pretty. I had been hiding tools from the Dreamon and he had found them. He blew up  _ all  _ of Logsteadshire: It was horrific. Then he told me I wasn’t allowed in the Nether and I would have no more visitors except for him once a week. I decided that I was done. I just couldn’t keep on going, so I was...I was going to finish what I started at the edge of the lava. I made a block tower and was going to jump from it. But as I sat at the top, I realized that the Dreamon did this to me because he’s scared of me. So, I jumped into the water and swam away leaving it all behind. I eventually showed up at Techno’s house, hid under his floorboards- I was not okay, thank you for asking- and then he found me. Everything was going well until he said he was going to blow up L’manberg and I decided I couldn’t do it and ran away. And here we are now.”

“Tommy.” Phil said, his voice shaking.

At the call of his name, Tommy turned to his father, looking at him with worry. _Irene_ , had he hurt his dad?

“Yeah, Dad?” Tommy swallows thickly, as if honey was clogging his throat.

“I’m sorry. Irene, _son,_ I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you, my little star.” Tears shone in his father's blue eyes, the blue eyes that were so similar to his own that he forget who he shared them with.

Phil gently grabbed Tommy, pulling him into a tight hug, sobbing. Tommy held Clara close so she wouldn’t get squished. They stood there for a few minutes Phil whispering apologies for not being there in between sobs. Tommy rested his head on his dad’s shoulder, relieved. He was wrong; so, so, wrong. They did care after all; Everyone did. His friends, _his family,_ cared for him. _Irene,_ they loved him. Tommy had never been happier to be wrong in his life.

Father and son held onto each other, only focusing on each other. Phil nestled Tommy in his arms and wings, as if he was shielding the 17-year-old from the horrors of the world. As if Tommy was six again and he had just woken up from a nightmare, wondering if Mommy and Daddy would come back to get him because they left him behind. Mommy and Daddy never did come home, they never apologized and whisked him away into a land of rainbows and sunshine. But Phil, Heather, Holly, his brothers, Fundy, and most importantly, Clara, filled that void. When he had held out his small hands for strangers’ spare change, and used those same hands to steal some away, Tommy never imagined for those hands to be held. He had never imagined those small hands to be taken to a home better than his past one. Tommy had never expected kindness, yet he had gotten it. Yet, despite never expecting it, they gave him a chalice for love, and filled his cup until he overflowed, warming his heart, and holding him close. Tommy was oh so loved, but as he grew, the people he loved forgot to fill his chalice. But now that he’s home and he has his moms and little girl, he’s overflowing. Tommy was loved, and he loved those around him. That was all that mattered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading! If you could leave some kudos and maybe even comment it would be greatly appreciated! Have a nice day!


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